Mixed-grade classrooms in Maine charter school support inclusionCornville Regional Charter School in Cornville, Maine, uses a multiple-grade classroom model that teachers say helps keep students with disabilities in inclusive settings. "I think the charter school does a really good job accommodating individual needs," teacher Barbara Averill said. "It's not a problem if they are third graders working on second-grade work," she added. Students have personalized learning plans and learn via the proficiency model. Portland Press Herald (Maine)
(11/26)

Model calls for parents, teachers to work as a teamAcademic Parent-Teacher Teams can help parents learn to work with teachers to support their children, writes Anne O'Brien, deputy director of the Learning First Alliance. Under the model, a classroom team is formed, including the teacher and parents, who meet as a group, O'Brien writes. Teachers also hold at least one 30-minute conference each year with students and their families to discuss the student's performance and establish plans for improvement. The model has grown from one Phoenix school district to five states and Washington, D.C. Edutopia.org/Anne O'Brien's blog
(11/26)

Technology Trends

Software adapts instruction to students' needsThe New York City-based company Knewton is seeking to help students learn by constantly assessing their performance in online courses. The company's program uses a model known as "adaptive learning" to evaluate everything from students' mouse movements to how long it takes them to answer a question. The program then uses that data to organize information in such a way that students are more likely to learn. The program, however, has not yet been proven effective. MIT Technology Review online
(11/26)

House committee will consider government's role in autismThe House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will meet Thursday to consider a federal response to the increase in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders and assess allocation of resources, research and treatment options. The advocacy group Autism Speaks called the hearing a "much-needed" step, but self-advocates complained they are being excluded from participating. Disability Scoop
(11/26)

Lower graduation rates are reported under new metricThe U.S. Department of Education used, for the first time, a common metric to calculate graduation rates for all states and the District of Columbia. The statistics, released Monday, reveal the rate at which first-time ninth-grade students earn a high-school diploma within four years. Iowa had the highest graduation rate at 88%, while the rate in Washington, D.C., was the lowest at 59%. Many states reported lower graduation rates than revealed in past calculations, and the data also show gaps in achievement among students. Education Week/Politics K-12 blog
(11/26), The Huffington Post
(11/26)

The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)

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